Adelyn Holmes & Lysander
Adelyn never intended to grow away from her children…she had never intended for a lot of things. But life got in the way of want, and duty came before love. Mycroft was always a precocious and distant child. He had little want or need for affection and instead sought to better his mind. Her son was terribly smart and his dæmon was prideful and distant. Even though considered a genius and once a child prodigy herself, neither she nor Lysander could keep up with their intellect.
Her husband was a wealthy man from an affluent family. His name was worth more than their estate. There was no doubt in her mind or others that she and her husband loved their children, and she knew her children loved them, but their relationship was lacking. Adelyn could not be there for her children as she wanted to be, being as she was the wife of a prominent and illustrious old English family and had duties. The obligations to her family left a surprisingly small amount of time for her family.
As the son of a Duke, her husband Charleston and his lynx dæmon Idola, had responsibilities that could not be denied. Though the title would pass on to his oldest brother, until the time in which his brother received the designation there was still certain duties that were expected of him.
By the time Mycroft was six he was almost completely self-sufficient. No longer in need of nannies and babysitters, he had little use for a loose parental figure such as herself, and no use at all for a frequently absent one such as his father. And Sherlock, well, he had Mycroft.
When her son was ten, Adelyn bore his brother into their lives. Sherlock was a difficult child, even the birthing was a nightmare. He was born late and there had been so many complications that Adelyn was denied the epidural. It was a painful and long process as Sherlock did not come easily into the world and the years that followed were no easier.
Always the busy woman, Adelyn left Sherlock and Atalanta in the capable hands of the same nanny that raised Mycroft and his dæmon. It had become obvious fairly quickly that Sherlock would not tolerate such an arrangement. He was a fussy baby, his dæmon taking on forms that allowed for truly astonishing vocal levels. They had hated their nanny and her beagle dæmon. So it came as surprise to Adelyn when ten year-old Mycroft and Erimentha took to raising Sherlock and his extravagant dæmon and the fussing decreased to almost nonexistent.
Atalanta was an odd dæmon, to put it lightly. She loved taking on exotic, extinct, and mythical shape and Sherlock did nothing to dissuade her. Erimentha gazed upon the change with disdain, her voice haughty and short as she explained to Atalanta that it was a sign of mental retardation. Sherlock would sneer and Atalanta would scoff and tell Mycroft to stuff it before shifting into a small dragon or griffon to chase the raven around the property.
Adelyn thought it curious that Atalanta addressed Mycroft just as often as Sherlock engaged Erimentha. She often heard her eldest explaining that it was improper and then her youngest would comment disdainfully and ignore him completely. Though never done in polite society, she did not think long upon it as she knew that her youngest adored his brother.
Sherlock and Atalanta followed Mycroft and his white-necked raven dæmon like two little ducklings. Mycroft was patient and his dæmon was stern. Together they raised the two and Adelyn could not have been more proud.
When Sherlock and Atalanta were eight, Mycroft and Erimentha left for college. The youngest Holmes never forgave them for that. Sherlock became distant and Atalanta began to take shapes small enough for her human to carry, the constant physical contact a comfort.
Although they had drastically different childhoods, Adelyn thought Atalanta was much like her Lysander in a way and would take after him and settle as a squirrel or chipmunk. Instead she settled as an arctic fox, a predator to Lysander's Red Squirrel. But of course it could not be just any arctic fox. Atalanta was special, and she portrayed that in every way, even one such as settling. She settled in the winter coat, white as snow with the slate blue variant under fur. In certain lighting, she appeared glacial blue.
That particular color variant had not been seen since the early 1900s. Trappers had over hunted for their beautiful and rare pelts and those that still roamed lived in Panserbjørn territory and the bears were unforgiving of hunters on their lands. Adelyn thought she was perfect.
Atalanta was an odd character and Adelyn first noticed Atalanta's curious mannerisms when she and Sherlock were fairly young. She had been away for nearly a month on a business trip, which was not unusual at all. Yule was just days away when she returned and pulled a scowling Sherlock into her embrace. Lysander scurried down her arm to the floor, tail twitching in excitement as he darted to Atalanta who had been unsettled at the time. The little squirrel had not even gotten close enough to touch noses before Atalanta turned away in disinterest and fluttered onto Sherlock's sleeve as small moth.
Looking back upon it, Lysander and her could not recall a time where Atalanta had initiated physical contact with any dæmon. The family was allowed certain allowances when it came to contact. Atalanta seemed to exude disinterest but tolerated when Lysander pet her fur or when Erimentha pecked at her. She even endured Idola's grooming when she was forced to. As they got older, they tolerated it less and less until Atalanta seemed to tolerate it not at all.
It made them worry but Adelyn never pursued the issue. Later, when both her sons were older, she would regret that decision. But at that moment, she had been comforted by the knowledge that Sherlock was closer to Mycroft then herself and thought that perhaps they were just getting to old for such affectionate gestures from parents.
Once, on a rainy day after a few too many glasses of Syrah, she had confronted Mycroft about Atalanta's standoffish behavior. Mycroft and Erimentha had been home for the summer and the house was tense as Sherlock sulked and threw insults at his older brother. Her eldest son just blinked owlishly at her as Erimentha perched on his shoulder, head turned and eyes trained out the window, disinterested. It was then that she realized the raven was much the same as she had never let Lysander close either and did not let other dæmons approach her and she approached no dæmons, Atalanta excluded.
Adelyn believed it was this unknowing neglect on her behalf that caused the emotional distance in her children. But by the time she truly noticed a problem, Mycroft was nearly out of college and Sherlock was independent to the point of worry.
Soon after, her father-in-law passed and Charleston and she stepped out of the lime light. They spent more time at home, forgoing the dinner parties and galas to spend time with their children. Charleston was a simple man with simple needs, always with a smile and laugh. Idola was much like him, overly affectionate and a purr constantly rumbling in her chest. But their affection was met with cold stares and stiff backs as Mycroft and Sherlock were forced to get used to their presence in their day-to-day lives.
Sherlock and Atalanta did not seem to know what to make of it. Having spent much time alone they were baffled by the presence of their parents. Mycroft seemed amused by it mostly. Erimentha perched on his shoulder with a smug look of indifference upon her bird face as they watched their younger brother and his dæmon struggle to cope with the affection being forced upon them by both parents.
Adelyn was distraught to know that her youngest son struggled with the concept of love one bestows upon another. His intellect was astounding, his knowledge vast, and yet the basics of emotions seemed to allude him. Atalanta appeared to have a better handle on feelings and Lysander was both baffled and amused by the fox explaining sentiments to the boy. Adelyn just felt sad by it.
She truly did love her children, her only regret was that she could never be the mother they needed. Adelyn prayed that one day they would find that person that could take of them in the say she never could.
One could only hope.
